You know what you stupid American guntards, have you considered the fact that there a quite a few countries out there where the vast majority don't actually WANT people running around with guns. If you lot want to run around like asstard cowboys, have farking fun. If you seriously want to link gun ownership to freedom, youre a farking moron. Freedom is not being scared that someone is going to blow your head off whilst youre at the cinema. Freedom is not having to be constantly feeling that you're split seconds from having to defend yourselves.

We had our Newtown massacre and the country chose to ban general gun ownership. We've been happier since.

For those of us who own guns, the long and tedious process we have to go through is worth it.

OtherLittleGuy's too right. Proper response is "The Doctor will save us!"Mayhap this one made it to Green before Bathia_Mapes could Take Appropriate Action -- if there is any. Kinda late for that now, innit?

"Conventional weapons like guns, knives, and batons can be used against a deadly assault, and weapons of opportunity - your purse, a flower pot, dirt, gravel, a rock. With weapons of opportunity you need to be careful, because if it is potentially deadly, like a bottle that can cause a percussive injury or break and be used to cut, it cannot should be used against physical assault. That would make you the assailantSTILL ALIVE."FTFY

snuff3r:We had our Newtown massacre and the country chose to ban general gun ownership. We've been happier since..

I completely respect your country's right to have its own culture regarding guns (even though you don't reciprocate). And I think the article's tone is ridiculous. Your post's tone is also ridiculous. Your statement "[W]e've been happier since" isn't supportable by any sort of evidence. If you take it as a face-value "happiness" quotient, your country's citizens report overall less happiness. If it's "our country's safer now".,...well, that's not true either. Now, I think both of these things (less happiness and more crime) are not caused by the gun ban, but it's just a poor argument to make.

You know what you stupid American guntards, have you considered the fact that there a quite a few countries out there where the vast majority don't actually WANT people running around with guns. If you lot want to run around like asstard cowboys, have farking fun. If you seriously want to link gun ownership to freedom, youre a farking moron. Freedom is not being scared that someone is going to blow your head off whilst youre at the cinema. Freedom is not having to be constantly feeling that you're split seconds from having to defend yourselves.

We had our Newtown massacre and the country chose to ban general gun ownership. We've been happier since.

For those of us who own guns, the long and tedious process we have to go through is worth it.

Freedom is having the means to protect yourself, your family, and your property.

Just because you guys gave up your rights, don't expect us to do the same,

While true this is also disingenuous. You can do much to prevent unauthorised access to your home but in the end it is the criminal who makes the decision. Since you have to work with situations which are largely dependent on others you should not expect other people to behave in the way that would be ideal to you. In this particular example you should always optimise based on worst case a scenario. There is someone in your home, how do you get out alive? According to research it is by de-escalating, which isn't what is going to happen if you pit two armed parties against each other.

Do not assume that just because you play by the rules that others do likewise.

Why is it that when we look at other cultures, the left tries to encourage us to not pass judgment on their values and mores under the idea of cultural relativism, but if those values include the idea that the right to bear arms is a civil right, then suddenly they are barbaric bad guys?

Mao Tse-Tung rather famously declared that all political power ultimately flows from the barrel of a gun. While orthodox US political theory holds that political power flows from the will of the people, Mao's idea that having force to back up that will of the people holds a little merit. It's a lot harder to steal from somebody who can respond with lethal force. Nobody wants violence, but in this country, we have

Also, note that the pro-gun lobby in the US had a great deal of scorn for British gun control, since the whole original reason we have a Constitutional right to bear arms was as a direct response to British oppression in the 1760's and 1770's. Our two nations have a special relationship, but bringing up anything that brings back memories of the Revolution will make things unpleasant, and gun control is one of those things.

I think TFA is propaganda, pure and simple, and I'd only believe that if I saw it from some reputable source, however, the referenced BBC article Link is real and says exactly what the article does. A proposed ban on kitchen knives?

I remember circa 2004, ending up on a chat on AIM with somebody from the UK who hoped that when Kerry was elected (2004 elections, remember) that he'd ban all guns and knives so the US would be peaceful. When I explained to him that the right to bear arms is a basic civil right in the US, to this day I remember his response "WTF, who wrote your constitution with crayola?". At least we have a written Constitution which acts as a bulwark against the political fad of the day, instead of a Parliament which can choose to throw out a millennium of tradition with a simple majority vote if it wants.

You know what you stupid American guntards, have you considered the fact that there a quite a few countries out there where the vast majority don't actually WANT people running around with guns. If you lot want to run around like asstard cowboys, have farking fun. If you seriously want to link gun ownership to freedom, youre a farking moron. Freedom is not being scared that someone is going to blow your head off whilst youre at the cinema. Freedom is not having to be constantly feeling that you're split seconds from having to defend yourselves.

We had our Newtown massacre and the country chose to ban general gun ownership. We've been happier since.

For those of us who own guns, the long and tedious process we have to go through is worth it.

Problem is, I get that feeling more in London than I ever did back home, and I don't mean just from toffee nosed douchebags that want to tell me what's wrong with my country, and can pretend to know what life is like in America without having ever been there. It's dangerous as fark in the big city. If you're not careful and don't know how to defend yourself, you'll get taken advantage of, same as anywhere.

You know what you stupid American guntards, have you considered the fact that there a quite a few countries out there where the vast majority don't actually WANT people running around with guns. If you lot want to run around like asstard cowboys, have farking fun. If you seriously want to link gun ownership to freedom, youre a farking moron. Freedom is not being scared that someone is going to blow your head off whilst youre at the cinema. Freedom is not having to be constantly feeling that you're split seconds from having to defend yourselves.

We had our Newtown massacre and the country chose to ban general gun ownership. We've been happier since.

For those of us who own guns, the long and tedious process we have to go through is worth it.

...And knives...and people who defend themselves are charged with crimes. Tell me again how that's anything approaching a free country?

I will take dangerous liberty over the illusion of safety any day.

Oh, and as a side note, I'm not afraid of anything. I carry a gun as a means of having the proper tools to defend myself if necessary. I carry a pocket knife and a multitool as well. I keep blankets in the truck in winter time, tools, jumper cables, and a fist aid kit.

You know what you stupid American guntards, have you considered the fact that there a quite a few countries out there where the vast majority don't actually WANT people running around with guns. If you lot want to run around like asstard cowboys, have farking fun. If you seriously want to link gun ownership to freedom, youre a farking moron. Freedom is not being scared that someone is going to blow your head off whilst youre at the cinema. Freedom is not having to be constantly feeling that you're split seconds from having to defend yourselves.

We had our Newtown massacre and the country chose to ban general gun ownership. We've been happier since.

For those of us who own guns, the long and tedious process we have to go through is worth it.

Someone is sounding like they have lots of cash on them. Yummy yummy cash.

If you have a criminal justice system meting out farcical prison terms for even violent crimes, as the US had between the mid-1960s and late 1980s, and as the UK has today, then issues of gun ownership are almost besides the point.

I live in the US and don't feel comfortable about the gun culture and plummeting quality of life, but running an even greater risk of getting glassed or burgled in the UK would leave me even less secure.

You know what you stupid American guntards, have you considered the fact that there a quite a few countries out there where the vast majority don't actually WANT people running around with guns. If you lot want to run around like asstard cowboys, have farking fun. If you seriously want to link gun ownership to freedom, youre a farking moron. Freedom is not being scared that someone is going to blow your head off whilst youre at the cinema. Freedom is not having to be constantly feeling that you're split seconds from having to defend yourselves.

We had our Newtown massacre and the country chose to ban general gun ownership. We've been happier since.

For those of us who own guns, the long and tedious process we have to go through is worth it.

Your gun doesn't protect you from car accidents, natural disasters, cheating spouses, losing your job, cancer, your loved ones dying, and oh, most people who'd want to shoot you, since you won't be expecting it and won't be fast enough to protect yourself. So what is it you're "prepared" for? Only the scenario in your head where you get to shoot the bad guy and be a hero. Which has much less chance of happening than any of the things I just listed.

Silverstaff:At least we have a written Constitution which acts as a bulwark against the political fad of the day, instead of a Parliament which can choose to throw out a millennium of tradition with a simple majority vote if it wants.

The downside of that is that you're placing the opinions of a few long dead people over those of the current population, which is rather undemocratic. Was the US constitution voted on by the public at large?

Kit Fister:I'm not afraid of anything. I carry a gun as a means of having the proper tools to defend myself if necessary. I carry a pocket knife and a multitool as well. I keep blankets in the truck in winter time, tools, jumper cables, and a fist aid kit.

You know what you stupid American guntards, have you considered the fact that there a quite a few countries out there where the vast majority don't actually WANT people running around with guns. If you lot want to run around like asstard cowboys, have farking fun. If you seriously want to link gun ownership to freedom, youre a farking moron. Freedom is not being scared that someone is going to blow your head off whilst youre at the cinema. Freedom is not having to be constantly feeling that you're split seconds from having to defend yourselves.

We had our Newtown massacre and the country chose to ban general gun ownership. We've been happier since.

For those of us who own guns, the long and tedious process we have to go through is worth it.

Who said guns? I say we should all be able to walk around with SWORDS. The whole Meiji Restoration thing was a bad idea.

Your gun doesn't protect you from car accidents, natural disasters, cheating spouses, losing your job, cancer, your loved ones dying, and oh, most people who'd want to shoot you, since you won't be expecting it and won't be fast enough to protect yourself. So what is it you're "prepared" for? Only the scenario in your head where you get to shoot the bad guy and be a hero. Which has much less chance of happening than any of the things I just listed.

He wasn't just talking about guns, sounds like you didn't read what he wrote. He's a man, not a not a stereotype.

You know what you stupid American guntards, have you considered the fact that there a quite a few countries out there where the vast majority don't actually WANT people running around with guns. If you lot want to run around like asstard cowboys, have farking fun. If you seriously want to link gun ownership to freedom, youre a farking moron. Freedom is not being scared that someone is going to blow your head off whilst youre at the cinema. Freedom is not having to be constantly feeling that you're split seconds from having to defend yourselves.

We had our Newtown massacre and the country chose to ban general gun ownership. We've been happier since.For those of us who own guns, the long and tedious process we have to go through is worth it.Freedom is having the means to protect yourself, your family, and your property.Just because you guys gave up your rights, don't expect us to do the same,

Ah, the usual "freedom" BS. If you want freedom, move to somalia: no taxes, perfect unregulated capitalist economy, and all the guns you want.

Face up to it: you want guns because you want guns because you want guns. If you were truly concerned about 'safety' for you and your family, you'd be for sensible gun control and regulation laws and for stronger laws against illegal posession. but you're not. you're for guns because you like guns, and because ultimately you're a bit of sociopath -- and i mean that in technical, not pejorative sense. Like some anti-vaccination eedjit, you'd rather have a bit of false security for you even if it is at the expense of society as a whole. And make no mistake: it is at the expense of society as a whole.

To be clear: I am not against private ownership of guns if that occurs in a regulated, sensible way. Heck, I'm even all for letting private citizens shoot full automatics and even artillery if it's done at sanctioned, licensed, and regulated private ranges and clubs with the ammo stored under lock and key in a sensble, regulted, secure way. this would be the best solution for the USA.. but, eedjits like you arent proposing that. instead, the NRA fights against even the most commonsense reforms to gun laws and selfish, sociopathic morans push the 'safety' myth to rationalize what must ultimately be called their greed.

/The population of the UK is ~20% of that of the US//Far more likely to have your TV stolen in the UK though, which much be partial consolation for being brutally murdered.

The US has always had several times the crime than the UK since the creation of the US of A. Also, you're only citing gun crime. You really think it's better to be beat or stabbed to death than shot? How does the math work on that?

Rising Ape:The downside of that is that you're placing the opinions of a few long dead people over those of the current population, which is rather undemocratic. Was the US constitution voted on by the public at large?

The US is not a democracy. "....and to the Republic, for which it stands..."

jaytkay:Kit Fister: I'm not afraid of anything. I carry a gun as a means of having the proper tools to defend myself if necessary. I carry a pocket knife and a multitool as well. I keep blankets in the truck in winter time, tools, jumper cables, and a fist aid kit.

You know what you stupid American guntards, have you considered the fact that there a quite a few countries out there where the vast majority don't actually WANT people running around with guns. If you lot want to run around like asstard cowboys, have farking fun. If you seriously want to link gun ownership to freedom, youre a farking moron. Freedom is not being scared that someone is going to blow your head off whilst youre at the cinema. Freedom is not having to be constantly feeling that you're split seconds from having to defend yourselves.

We had our Newtown massacre and the country chose to ban general gun ownership. We've been happier since.For those of us who own guns, the long and tedious process we have to go through is worth it.Freedom is having the means to protect yourself, your family, and your property.Just because you guys gave up your rights, don't expect us to do the same,

Ah, the usual "freedom" BS. If you want freedom, move to somalia: no taxes, perfect unregulated capitalist economy, and all the guns you want.

Face up to it: you want guns because you want guns because you want guns. If you were truly concerned about 'safety' for you and your family, you'd be for sensible gun control and regulation laws and for stronger laws against illegal posession. but you're not. you're for guns because you like guns, and because ultimately you're a bit of sociopath -- and i mean that in technical, not pejorative sense. Like some anti-vaccination eedjit, you'd rather have a bit of false security for you even if it is at the expense of society as a whole. And make no mistake: it is at the expense of society as a whole.

To be clear: I am not against private ownership of guns if that occurs in a regulated, sensible way. Heck, I'm even all for letting private citizens shoot full automatics and even artillery if it's done at sanctioned, licensed, and regulated private ranges and clubs with the ammo stored under lock and key in a sensble, regulted, secure way. this would be the best solution for the USA.. but, eedjits like you arent proposing that. instead, the NRA fights against even the most commonsense reforms to gun laws and selfish, sociopathic morans push the 'safety' myth to rationalize what must ultimately be called their greed.

it has nothing whatsoever to do with 'freedom.'

Nice opinion, feel free to put it back in the ass you pulled it from when you're done with it.

'The BBC offers this advice for anyone in Britain who is attacked on the street: You are permitted to protect yourself with a briefcase, a handbag, or keys. You should shout 'Call the Police' rather than 'Help.' Bystanders are not to help'

So if i can try to understand the liberal mindset... banning guns is supposed to solve all our societies problems and no one will ever die again ever, but banning drugs has worked out horribly and we should give up the war on drugs completely because laws dont stop criminals. Got it.

Ah Britain, the country whose citizenry turned their guns to plowshares after WWI and had to come crying to the US for small arms to defend themselves from an invasion after the Luftwaffe came calling.

Rising Ape:Silverstaff: At least we have a written Constitution which acts as a bulwark against the political fad of the day, instead of a Parliament which can choose to throw out a millennium of tradition with a simple majority vote if it wants.

The downside of that is that you're placing the opinions of a few long dead people over those of the current population, which is rather undemocratic. Was the US constitution voted on by the public at large?

No, because the people are farking dumb and will vote to oppress a minority or institute slavery at the drop of a hat.

Freedom is having the means to protect yourself, your family, and your property.

Just because you guys gave up your rights, don't expect us to do the same,

Protect against who? Protection against the government is useless, because the government will always have more, bigger and better guns. This isn't the 1800's anymore. This is why even small town police in the US has and needs military grade weapons. If anything, you are turning your country in a less free, autocratic, militaristic, police state, as the government will put in more effort to control the gun-owning citizens.

For protection against other citizens you wouldn't need guns if there are no guns in society.

In short, the only thing gun ownership in a society like the US leads to, is more violent crimes, gun accidents and a police state where people have a very misguided sense of what 'liberty' actually means.